A Very Unexpected Patch Tick

 I called in to the Grove Ferry end of the Stodmarsh reserve (HQ) for a chat.

Whinchat, one of four seen.

Stonechat, one of a pair seen

I did connect with Whinchats earlier, on the 31st August after being alerted to their presence by Martyn Wilson. Always good to get these returning migrants, re fueling at Grove before carrying on their journey back to Africa.

The day's biggest surprise for me and a patch tick to boot, was a very high juvenile Gannet flying from North to South over the viewing ramp on my way back to the car. That was most unexpected.

A record shot of the juvenile Gannet to mark the occasion. 

A juvenile Spoonbill at Grove Ferry.

 On the morning of the 28th August 2025, a juvenile Spoonbill spent most of the day on the pool in front of the Feast hide at the Grove Ferry end of the Stodmarsh reserve. This species is becoming more of a frequent visitor to the reserve now and always great to see. Just a pity that the reed and sedge along the dyke in front of the hide was not cut when they cut the grass, we would have been able to see it properly instead of waiting for a gust of wind to blow the reeds aside to grab a glimpse.

The view from the Feast hide at Grove Ferry after the grass in front has been cut. It's like opening the blinds but leaving the curtains drawn. A shame really as this hide has produced some good birds in the past, Spotted Crake comes to mind but would be really difficult to see if one was skulking in the back reed bed line.

It was worth a look.

As always at this time of the year, the enthusiasm to get out with the camera wanes, especially when it's hot, and also after spending a week in Catalonia with a host of wildlife, some of it just a few metres from my camera lens, it leaves trips out to the likes of Stodmarsh a little underwhelming. Anyway, I decided to take a look down at Grove Ferry end of the Stodmarsh reserve, just taking in the Feast hide for an hour. I was the only one in there, which mean't that there was an obvious lack of Kingfisher activity (it would have been packed otherwise) although the perches are at this moment in time, completely hidden by the growing reeds. There is now a nice bit of mud showing (the old Island) as a result in the dropping water levels which mean't that there was somewhere for returning waders to feed. Sure enough, I counted 11 Green Sandpiper's and a patch year tick in the shape of a Little Ringed Plover. Hopefully the coming weeks will attract a few more waders and even maybe a passing rarity. Getting images proved a little difficult with the distance and having to wait until the wind blew the reeds to either side and catching the Plover with it's head up at the same time but a couple of record images were obtained.

Little Ringed Plover

Green Sandpiper

A few other bits seen from the hide during my stay

Gadwall

Common Tern

Marsh Harrier (A nice looking bird)

Grey Heron

Nothing out of the ordinary and par for the course for this time of the year but as the post title says, "It was worth a look" just for the patch year tick alone.

Thirteen and still looking good.

For the thirteenth year running, the Bonaparte's Gull has returned to Oare marshes to spend the summer months and still looking as good as ever. Looking closely, the summer moult has just about started and it will not be long until the handsome black hood will have disappeared, before the Gull moves on to winter in unknown parts. I spent Wednesday afternoon (9th July) at Oare to see the bird before it loses it's summer attire.

Also out on the mud of the Swale were a few Mediterranean Gulls, this individual looking rather scruffy into it's summer moult.

A favourite of mine when visiting Oare is to stand along the path by the sea watching hide and catch the many Black-tailed Godwits as they fly off the east flood to feed on the wet mud from the dropping tide of the Swale.

On the east flood along with the Godwits, were 3 Little Ringed Plovers. The biggest noticeable absence on the flood was the water, there is none apart from small puddles here and there. 

Why ???

 

A trip to Catalonia. (Part 2)

 After leaving Tremp and being returned to our hotel, we had a couple of hours to kill before our late afternoon stint in the Bee Eater hides, a few miles away in Montgai. I suggested a walk along a small side road behind our hotel as I had a quick stroll along there after awaking early that morning and hearing a singing Quail and saw several Crested Lark's, Serins and a Tree Sparrow. We spent about an hour walking along the winding country road, racking up an impressive species list including Zitting Cisticola, Golden Oriole, a Woodchat Shrike, a few Bee-Eater's, several Crested Lark's, a Thekla Lark, (seeing Crested and Thekla together helped with i.d)  and Steve got us on to a Short-toed Snake Eagle drifting high overhead. The Thekla was a lifer for me. We were almost reluctant to return to our hotel but did as we had to meet our guide in Montgai at 5.00 pm.

The Bee-Eater's did not disappoint for Tim and I but Steve fared a little less better in another hide situated 3 to 400 metres behind us, on account that these hides were only big enough for two people. Steve did get to see a couple of Rollers which we were hoping for, but missed. 

A good few hours spent in the company of the Bee Eaters before returning to our hotel for dinner and a few beers before bed. The next morning was when our trip plans changed dramatically. We were due to visit hides for European Roller, which as mentioned, due to nest predation, was now redundant, Montague's Harrier and lastly a hide for Black-bellied and Pin-tailed Sand Grouse but both hides relied on the species being drawn in by water. Once again, with an abundance of surface water amassed from several months of heavy rain fall, these hides were also now redundant.

We set off early, driving to the Port del Comte ski resort, about 30 kilometres north of Solsona and spent the morning in a hide set up on the edge of a Pine forest with a drinking pool in front, 1700 metres above sea level and hoping for Alpine bird species. Well, although I did get a lifer in the shape of a Citril Finch, the morning was a complete waste of time. We did get a few fleeting glances of a Crested Tit, a Serin kept appearing but for most of the time stubbornly remained partially hidden in the foliage. I also thought the light was terrible, shadows everywhere and it was not long before I sort of gave up on trying to get any photos. This was for all three of us, our biggest disappointment, we travelled for two hours back tracking on our journey from Solsona earlier in the week and all for nothing really. (and a hundred euros each for the hide)  Not much of a whinge really, the views we had were stunning and it was very strange to see the ski slopes with no snow on, just out of work cable cars resting above a grassy slope. Mind you, some of the slopes were indeed very steep. Also we found a restaurant open and had a superb Ham and Fried egg breakfast.

Serin

Strange seeing the piste with no snow.

Around the ski resort there were a few Crag Martin's in amongst the numerous House Martin's which soon eroded the memory of the Alpine hide, these do travel, especially with a tail wind.

We left the alpine area of Port del Comte and our re arranged schedule saw us driving back to Barcelona and then North for about 50 kilometres to a small town called Montseny. Another very nice hotel for our last night and the morning saw the three of us in a forest pool hide, a small wooden hide in the forest with a pool in front of it funny enough. The various perches were also baited and we enjoyed a busy morning session before leaving and making our way back to the airport at Barcelona for our evening flight home. We had hoped for Hawfinch here to no avail but a visiting female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker softened the blow. She was in and out for most of the time we were there.

My favourite from this session was a really showy Nightingale, a species I do not get to photograph out in the open that much.

Other visitors to the pool included Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Nuthatch

Crested Tit

All too soon, a knock on the door of the hide told us our guide had returned to end the session, which was a shame, as although all the birds visiting the hide pool were mainly of species that were fairly common to us (bar the Crested Tit's), they were all within a few metres of the hide window, but not easy given the dappled forest light casting shadows everywhere, but still a great morning's entertainment with the camera.

The one good thing about are changed itinerary, was instead of finishing in the Sand Grouse hide at Belchite, Aragon, and a three hour drive back to the airport in Barcelona, we were now only 50 kilometres (100 with Tim and Steve's phone navigation skills) North of Barcelona, so we had plenty of time to get back, off hire the car and grab dinner before our evening flight back to Gatwick.

All in all, a fairly successful trip with four new birds for me, Lammergeier, (which was the bird of the trip for me), European Black Vulture, Thekla Lark and the Citril Finch. (Cannot quite believe I never managed even a record shot of the Finch). Glaring misses with the Montagu's Harrier, European Roller and the Sand Grouse but unfortunately, Photo logistics had no control over the weather, no guarantees with wildlife watching I'me afraid but it does leave us something to go back for come the next Spring.

My Bird of the week. 

Lammergeier

Thanks to Steve and Tim for an enjoyable week and also thanks to Photo logistics who done their best,  especially given the trying circumstances.